Thrawn's Revenge

Off Topic => Star Wars Discussion => Topic started by: Corey on March 11, 2012, 07:14:05 AM

Title: Favourite Author and Series
Post by: Corey on March 11, 2012, 07:14:05 AM
In the hero suggestion thread there was a bit of discussion about this, so I decided to make a topic for it. Basically, who's your favourite EU author and why, and which is your favourite book series? More importantly, which ones do you hate? I'll post mine later.
Title: Re: Favourite Author and Series
Post by: Lord Xizer on March 11, 2012, 09:37:30 PM
Timothy Zahn is my favorite Star Wars Author. His Thrawn Trilogy is by far and away my favorite Star Wars Book Series though I like all his SW books. Micheal Stackpole, Aaron Allston with the XWing series are close seconds, James Luceno with Darth Plageius comes third and finally Mike Richardson and Randy Stradley with their Crimson Empire comic.
Honorable mention go to Kevin Anderson and Darksaber.

I hated the Corellian Trilogy, the Legacy series, the jedi academy trilogy, and the Crystal Star. Poorly written, seemed like the authors had little understanding of the workings of the SW EU compared to Zahn and others.
Also couldn't stand Dark empire(seemed a bit ludicrous, undid the importance of Endor, and had atrocious artwork.)
Title: Re: Favourite Author and Series
Post by: Meyer on March 12, 2012, 01:13:56 PM
Timothy Zahn and Thrawn Trilogy. It was that trilogy that got me interested in Star Wars expanded universe. There isn't a star wars book written by Zahn that I hadn't liked. I also like the Fate of the Jedi series. It has been the best series for a long time in EU. Darth Bane trilogy by Drew Karpyshyn was also good one.
Title: Re: Favourite Author and Series
Post by: Corey on March 20, 2012, 09:32:35 PM
Zahn is my favourite individual author, but my favourite Star Wars series is actually the New Jedi Order. It gets a lot of flak, but it was willing to go in a darker direction and actually have events that mattered. Before then, any books basically meant you knew every character except the villain was gonna walk out just fine, which is something even Zahn has a problem with.
Title: Re: Favourite Author and Series
Post by: yutpaeksi on March 20, 2012, 10:11:02 PM
The X-wing series, which anyone who wants to play this mod should read, as it has the best descriptions of space battles. I'd probably go with Allston over Stackpole, Allston's sense of humor is just fantastic.

I liked certain books of the NJO series but there was almost TOO much change, with Del Rey being the new publisher that wanted to put their own stamp on things. And there was no reason at all for Anakin Solo to die except that he shared his grandfather's name (damn you Lucas). But Allston's two books in that series, that ones that detailed the defense of Borleias, are fantastic.
Title: Re: Favourite Author and Series
Post by: Senza on March 22, 2012, 12:59:38 AM
Inb4 Zah.... oh too late. I'd say probably Zahn or Stackpole. Can we merge them into one mega author? That'd be great. As for favorite series, it'd either be the X-wing series or the Hand of Thrawn Duology.
Title: Re: Favourite Author and Series
Post by: Corey on March 23, 2012, 12:25:05 AM
So having finished Fate of the Jedi, I'm pretty sure Star Wars isn't about "bringing balance to the force" or some shit like that, it's definitely just a competition to see who can turn Jacen Solo's storyline into the most incomprehensible schizophrenic mess.
Title: Re: Favourite Author and Series
Post by: yutpaeksi on March 23, 2012, 12:32:21 AM
So having finished Fate of the Jedi, I'm pretty sure Star Wars isn't about "bringing balance to the force" or some shit like that, it's definitely just a competition to see who can turn Jacen Solo's storyline into the most incomprehensible schizophrenic mess.

No it's a competition to see who can make the worst ret-con ever  (Vergere was Sith? Gasp! Jacen did it cause of some vision? Gasp!), all while destroying the supposed hero (Should've been Anakin Solo) who saved the universe!

FotJ was awful...Allston's books in the series weren't bad at least...but still the arc was just bad...Also what was with that nonsense tying back into the Clone Wars Animated series??? It did absolutely nothing for the story. Also did anyone remotely enjoy Christie Golden's books?
Title: Re: Favourite Author and Series
Post by: Corey on March 23, 2012, 12:38:55 AM
Spoilers for Fate of the Jedi Below:




FotJ were the first SW books I'd read in 4 years. I watched through the Clone Wars series a few months ago, and did my best to block the Father/Son/Daughter thing out of my mind, but the second the Killiks started showing Tekli, Lowie and Raynar the pictures I knew what was coming, and wanted to light the books on fire. It was kind of weird though, NJO and LotF killed off like 9 major characters each, and all FotJ did was put every single character in a position where they probably should die because after you've done it 18 times it apparently still creates drama, but the only person who ends up actually dying is Kenth Hamner halfway through the series. I was actually enjoying it a bit up until Vortex, although it did give us some stuff to work with for the mod. Reige is a pretty transparent attempt to recreate Pellaeon, though.
Title: Re: Favourite Author and Series
Post by: yutpaeksi on March 23, 2012, 12:46:03 AM
At least X-Wing: Mercy Kill is coming out in August...that excerpt at the end of Apocalypse was awesome...
Title: Re: Favourite Author and Series
Post by: Corey on March 23, 2012, 12:48:46 AM
...In which it will be revealed that Jacen from Traitor-Apocalypse was actually just a clone made by Vergere name Jaacen Solo, and the real Jacen has been in line at a bank on Muunilinst for the last 15 years.
Title: Re: Favourite Author and Series
Post by: Lord Xizer on March 23, 2012, 05:15:50 AM
Killing Pellaeon was a travesty in my opinion, most unnecessary and trite.
Title: Re: Favourite Author and Series
Post by: Corey on March 23, 2012, 07:14:11 PM
He was 92. I don't hold that against LotF.
Title: Re: Favourite Author and Series
Post by: Senza on March 23, 2012, 07:16:37 PM
...In which it will be revealed that Jacen from Traitor-Apocalypse was actually just a clone made by Vergere name Jaacen Solo, and the real Jacen has been in line at a bank on Muunilinst for the last 15 years.

But that line on Muunilinst was actually a vision created by Abeloth, and none of the events of Fate of the Jedi ever actually happened, but Abeloth never actually existed in that case so that means that...... *black hole created*
Title: Re: Favourite Author and Series
Post by: Lord Xizer on March 23, 2012, 08:18:54 PM
and then it is revealed that the entire Galactic Civil War was merely a dream and the Empire still rules with Justice and Security for all....humans.
Title: Re: Favourite Author and Series
Post by: Senza on March 24, 2012, 12:16:51 AM
But then it is revealed that it was all just a movie! And none of it really happened, and.. yeah!
Title: Re: Favourite Author and Series
Post by: Thrashia on May 02, 2012, 05:28:42 PM
Timothy Zahn. He was the author I liked most, not just because he created Thrawn, but because he ended the whole "super-weapon of the week" jive that most authors were harking on before and after his Thrawn trilogy. For Zahn, the Empire was not an enemy to defeat because it had another Death Star or Sun Crusher or World Devastator...but rather because the New Republic was ideologically opposed to the authoritarian form of government that the Empire represented.
Title: Re: Favourite Author and Series
Post by: rumiks on May 09, 2012, 08:08:20 PM
troy denning (traitor) and Timothy Zhann ( heir to the empire) i found in a 1 dollar book store i didn't know star wars made books till then since that first book i have been hooked
Title: Re: Favourite Author and Series
Post by: Revanchist on May 13, 2012, 09:17:28 PM
I really like all of Zahn's novels. He is just an amazing writer. Karen Traviss was also one of the greatest (anyone read Republic Commando??), and it is really sad that the idiot they put in charge of The Clone Wars (a.k.a. Dave Filoni) has the sole intention of destroying everything she created :'(.

As to FotJ, I liked it. True, it wasn't as good as NJO, and the whole Daala becoming head of the GA was weird, but it explained how and why Jacen slipped to the Dark Side so quickly (it was due to his wanting to save the ones he loved, no matter what) and really shows the fact that the Dark and Light Sides aren't that different. It also really helped develop Ben's character, and we'll see how he will deal with what has happened to him. We will also see what will happen to Vestara. Will she be able to turn her back on the people who became her friends and destroy them? Balance has also returned to the Force as the Sith have appeared again (with out the darkness to define the light, would anyone know what light is?).
Title: Re: Favourite Author and Series
Post by: rumiks on May 15, 2012, 01:10:54 AM
Timothy Zahn. He was the author I liked most, not just because he created Thrawn, but because he ended the whole "super-weapon of the week" jive that most authors were harking on before and after his Thrawn trilogy. For Zahn, the Empire was not an enemy to defeat because it had another Death Star or Sun Crusher or World Devastator...but rather because the New Republic was ideologically opposed to the authoritarian form of government that the Empire represented.
thats what i liked to but also he was different he was not a human for one and he was just so damn good at knowing what people where thinking and doing thrawn is basically my favourite charector because he didnt use the force or politics he used something we never think of and thats art .....anyway i like most of timothy zhanns books he just has a way of writting them well and keeping you interested the whole way through. i just got darth plageius and i think it was something of a let down in my view all i want to know now is how his masters master torn the fabric that the jedi sensed....... ,njo was darker and the yuzong vong where awsome i enjoyed that as well they bought a whole need breed of not everyone survives which i thought star wars needed ....... i think i have most books but all mine are online now since someone thought it funny to steal and burn my whole collection of star wars books ...:(
Title: Re: Favourite Author and Series
Post by: Lord Xizer on May 15, 2012, 07:56:52 PM
i just got darth plageius and i think it was something of a let down in my view all i want to know now is how his masters master torn the fabric that the jedi sensed....... ,njo was darker and the yuzong vong where awsome i enjoyed that as well they bought a whole need breed of not everyone survives which i thought star wars needed ....... i think i have most books but all mine are online now since someone thought it funny to steal and burn my whole collection of star wars books ...:(

I liked Darth plageus for revealing Sidious's origins and mind set. It also really showed how devious he was, since he influenced Plageus to pick ideas that were really Sidious's without him ever realizing it.
It also had a lot of cameos from other books(C'baoth, the Black Sun, Xizor, Dorianna, Pestage, Armand Isard and others.

NJO was great to me because I  liked seeing the Almighty NR get it's rear kicked across space!(Always was a fan of the Empire myself. It also brought Pellaeon back to the forefront and had pretty much EVERYONE in the galaxy in it thrown into one war. It was beautiful in it's entirety or war.
Title: Re: Favourite Author and Series
Post by: Lord_jacob on June 01, 2012, 10:29:58 PM
mine would be either Timothy Zahn or George Lucas

you gotta admit, Mr.Lucas did a great job on Star Wars
Title: Re: Favourite Author and Series
Post by: rumiks on July 11, 2012, 12:57:15 AM
I liked Darth plageus for revealing Sidious's origins and mind set. It also really showed how devious he was, since he influenced Plageus to pick ideas that were really Sidious's without him ever realizing it.
It also had a lot of cameos from other books(C'baoth, the Black Sun, Xizor, Dorianna, Pestage, Armand Isard and others.

NJO was great to me because I  liked seeing the Almighty NR get it's rear kicked across space!(Always was a fan of the Empire myself. It also brought Pellaeon back to the forefront and had pretty much EVERYONE in the galaxy in it thrown into one war. It was beautiful in it's entirety or war.
i kind of guess your right how sidius played him thats true i wonder what would have happen if empire was still in control if the vong tried to invade i think old palps would have kicked them stupid ....more imp than rebel imps had more interesting charectors really
Title: Re: Favourite Author and Series
Post by: yutpaeksi on July 11, 2012, 01:00:03 AM
"That's not what the Empire would have done, Commander. What the Empire would have done was build a super-colossal Yuuzhan Vong-killing battle machine. They would have called it the Nova Colossus or the Galaxy Destructor or the Nostril of Palpatine or something equally grandiose.

They would have spent billions of credits, employed thousands of contractors and subcontractors, and equipped it with the latest in death-dealing technology. And you know what would have happened? It wouldn't have worked. They'd forget to bolt down a metal plate over an access hatch leading to the main reactors, or some other mistake, and a hotshot enemy pilot would drop a bomb down there and blow the whole thing up.

Now that's what the Empire would have done."

- Han Solo
Title: Re: Favourite Author and Series
Post by: MMM2409 on August 25, 2012, 04:21:50 PM
my favorite series are Legacy of the force, Fate of the Jedi and Darth Bane
Title: Re: Favourite Author and Series
Post by: JC123 on August 25, 2012, 07:25:43 PM
Stackpole.  That author had me sold on the expanded universe so well I immediately soaked up everything else I could find.